The Ke-Ni is a vast improvement over the Ha-Go with thicker and sloped armor. The Type 1 is an extremely refined 37mm gun that's accurate and quick firing. The speed of this tank is better than the Ha-Go by around 10km/h making for a fast scout.

The Type 98 Ke-Ni was a design recommended to replace the older Ha-Go. Despite being a vast improvement over the Ha-Go, which only provided adequate performance, the tank was not accepted. When it was realized that the Ha-Go was vulnerable to HMG fire, they quickly put the Ke-Ni into production. However, by the end of the war, the IJN had more priority in steel and the tank was never mass-produced, approximately 100 of them were produced.